


legacy

by ConvenientAlias



Category: Marco Polo (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Historium Commentfest 2019, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 06:43:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17934791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: Jingim resents the idea of legacy. Chabi provides for him anyways.





	legacy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heartfullofelves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/gifts).



When Jingim was little, Chabi had to explain it to him sometimes, why Kublai was so hard on him. “You are the heir apparent,” she would say. “You are the hope of the Mongolian Empire, the hope that our line can continue. You are his legacy.”

He would pout, back then, and cry about it sometimes. She never softened any of Kublai’s commands or punishments, though she sometimes spoke to Kublai privately and told him to be a little kinder. Jingim was a prince, and he was a Mongol, but he was still a boy.

When Jingim was an adult, he had gained some wisdom and patience, but the boy would show in the cracks sometimes. He still came to her and spoke angrily about how Kublai always seemed to be displeased with him, hard on him—favoring even foreigners over him, even though Jingim was his son, his legitimate son and heir. Now anger hid his hurt, but Chabi still tried to soothe it. She told him again and again that Kublai only wanted to teach Jingim strength, that his standards were high because he wanted Jingim to be a good Khan someday.

“Legacy,” Jingim would say. He would spit out the word.

In his rivalry, he never had anything good to say about the Latin for a long time, except once, when Chabi would least have expected it. When the Latin’s father was in prison and Kublai was on his deathbed, and there should have been far too much on his mind, it somehow slipped through.

“The Latin is very loyal to his father, even though his father betrayed him. That man is despicable. Yet the Latin will risk his life for him.”

Chabi did not answer. She thought the Latin’s loyalty to Niccolo Polo was unwise, but it was not a time to tell her son that sometimes it was best to give up on a father.

“I visited him and spoke to him. He said he left his son all those years, and betrayed him now, for the sake of a legacy. What kind of a legacy could he even have to offer?”

Chabi said carefully, “I do not think now is the best time to trouble yourself with such things.”

Jingim rubbed his head. “No. You are right. It is trivial.” He paced uneasily. The subject changed to Kublai’s condition, which was improving, but so slowly and so precariously that it seemed as if it were frozen on the edge of some cliff.

Jingim hated the very idea of legacy, and maybe that was Chabi’s fault. She had used it as an explanation for Kublai’s harshness all these years. Still, it had taught him respect for his father, and given him strength to grow up into a fine young man. He was a good legacy, to be sure.

It was unfortunate that the rest of China was already looking further into the future than he wanted to, and wondering what his legacy would be, when that was clearly the last thing on his mind.

That was all right. He could worry about the present; as for his future, for his heirs, Chabi would take care of that. It was a mother’s job, to secure the future for her son.

* * *

 

When Jingim rejoined Kublai and Chabi and the troops after securing Cambulac, he was distraught. His news was bad: Ahmad was dead, by necessity (painful necessity) and the capital won but not without some lingering unrest. Their news, of course, was worse: an entire army of Westerners before them, a dead rival to the throne, and a dead wife.

“Tell me how it happened.”

Chabi folded her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to move them. “We can’t say, exactly. No one was there—we would have stopped her. But we found her body in the lake. She was wearing all her clothes, and there was no sign of a struggle. It looks like she just walked into the water and decided to die.”

Jingim closed his eyes.

“I am sorry,” Chabi said. “I have failed you. She seemed lucid after giving birth. We should have restrained her, but with kurultai and the army of Latins…”

“Where,” Jingim asked, “are my children?”

Relief washed over her; he had not heard. Kublai knew, and the Latin knew, and Ahmad had known, and even Khutulun possibly knew now, if her father had told her… but Jingim did not know. Maybe he would never have to know. She had killed to keep his place on the throne and to protect Kublai, but this, too, mattered—that Jingim never know the bloody truth of his legacy, that he never know what Chabi had done to his wife to secure it. He would never respect how important it had been, how necessary. Legacy had never mattered enough to him for that.

The children were brought to him. He held them both at once—they were small enough. He was still, and sad. He held the children, and Chabi held him.

The babies did not have any names yet, so Jingim offered them two: Gammala for the boy, Khulan for the girl. He called them by these names, which they did not yet recognize.

He did not ask Chabi, now, about what there had been between Kokachin and the Latin. Chabi was relieved by that, too, though she doubted that would last. He was restless. Only grief kept him now from exploding, and grief always became anger sooner or later, especially with Jingim. Chabi knew her boy.

Kublai entered the tent soon. He heard the names Jingim had given his children, and he approved. He clapped Jingim on the shoulder. “Tomorrow, we plan for battle,” he said. “We must protect the empire for your children. We must not let it go to dust before their time.”

Legacy. But Jingim did not seem to resent the words. He nodded firmly, and said, “I will prepare.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt of "Marco Polo, Chabi & Jingim, parenthood, legacy" for the Historium Commentfest of 2019.  
> It's been a while since I've written Marco Polo gen! Hope I didn't make it too shippy. I've also never focused on Chabi and Jingim's relationship before, but it's certainly an interesting one.


End file.
